Guild structure of ambrosia beetles attacking a deciduous oak tree Quercus serrata in relation to wood oldness and seasonality in three locations in the Central Japan

In order to determine factors influencing ambrosia beetle guilds on Quercus serrata, we investigated ambrosia beetles guilds by using Q. serrata bait logs in three locations in the Central Japan. Timing of cutting trees and timing of exposure were artificially controlled. Influences of location, timing of cutting, timing of exposure and wood oldness on species richness, abundances and guild structure were analyzed. Species richness and abundance peaked on bolts prepared in April–May, on bolts exposed in July, and on 2–3‐month‐old bolts. Eliminating greatest influences of location on abundance, results of hierarchical partitioning showed that timing of cutting trees had a strong influence on both species richness and abundance. LOC‐A (Aichi), in which Japanese oak wilt disease incidence occurred, showed the greatest species richness and the smallest value of Pielou's evenness. Abundance of the most major species was more than twice that of the second major species, which was a likely cause of the smallest evenness in LOC‐A. Trees killed by the Japanese oak wilt disease may have increased the abundance of the major species. On the contrary, in LOC‐C (Chichibu), alpha and beta diversity both given by Shannon index and Pielou's evenness were greatest among the three locations although species richness was smallest. High similarity between guilds in LOC‐A and LOC‐B (Chiba) was probably caused by similarity in vegetation. The location had the greatest effect on determining guild structure. Effect of timing of exposure was greater than timing of cutting. The effect of wood oldness was negligible. A hierarchical structure among the three factors was a likely cause of their relative importance determining guild structure.     

Factors affecting species number and density of dabbling duck guilds in North Europe

We addressed how species number and pair density in guilds of co-existing species is related to habitat structure, and to the abundance and diversity of food resources using the assemblage of seven species of dabbling ducks (genus Anas ) breeding in 60 lakes distributed over six regions in temperate north Europe
Partial correlation and multiple regression revealed that species richness was best predicted by habitat structural diversity as indexed by a principal component analysis based on 18 vegetation and lake characteristics, and by the abundance of aquatic and emergent prey We found no effect of lake size or prey size diversity on species richness Pair density was correlated with the percentage of shoreline with horsetails ( Equisetum ), by habitat structural diversity and by the abundance of emergent invertebrate prey Neither prey size diversity nor abundance of aquatic prey correlated with pair density Species richness and pair density in North European duck guilds vary both with habitat structure and prey availability     

The Influence of Soil Type on Rain Forest Insect Herbivore Communities

Insect herbivores were collected from five species of dipterocarp tree seedling within a large‐scale reciprocal transplant experiment in Sabah, Malaysia, on alluvial and sandstone soils in both gap and understory plots. The aim was to determine whether the location and ecological specialization of seedlings influenced the herbivore communities found on and around them. Three major groups of folivores were collected: Coleoptera, Orthoptera, and larval Lepidoptera. Herbivory of all species was confirmed through laboratory trials. Herbivore abundance in the understory plots was extremely low relative to the gaps. Rank‐abundance curves were similar on both soil types, differing only within the Lepidoptera. Coleoptera and Orthoptera communities were numerically dominated by a small suite of species capable of feeding on all dipterocarp species tested, whereas lepidopteran communities had both greater species richness and diversity. When corrected for leaf area surveyed, the abundance of Coleoptera was similar on both soil types, while larval Lepidoptera were more abundant in sandstone plots and Orthoptera were more abundant in alluvial plots. Estimated species richness of all three taxa was greater in alluvial forest, but there were contrasting patterns in Simpson diversity and evenness between groups. Species richness of Lepidoptera was greatest on seedlings when grown in their native soil type, providing partial evidence for possible escape effects, although this was not matched by differences in folivore abundance. The link between herbivore communities and herbivory rates on rain forest tree seedlings is complex and is unlikely to be detected through simplistic measures of abundance, species richness, or diversity.     

Vegetation structure determines insect herbivore diversity in seasonally dry tropical forests

Vegetation structure can often determine insect herbivore fauna in forests, but this mechanism has been demonstrated in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) only at small spatial scales. In this study we evaluated the effects of the geographical location of SDTFs and vegetation structure on insect herbivore communities (leaf-chewing and sap-sucking guilds) in three Brazilian ecoregions (Cerrado, Cerrado/Caatinga transition, and Caatinga). We tested the following predictions: (1) insect herbivore species composition, richness, abundance and beta diversity differ among forests in different ecoregions; (2) insect richness, abundance and beta diversity are positively related to tree richness and density; (3) spatial turnover of species is the primary mechanism that generates herbivorous insect β-diversity in different ecoregions, and is positively influenced by tree richness. The composition, richness, and abundance of herbivorous insects differed over SDFs along the gradient of Cerrado and Caatinga. Both herbivore guilds responded positively to tree richness. Tree density only determined the richness and abundance of sap-sucking herbivores. Insect β-diversity was similar among Cerrado and transition areas, but lower in Caatinga itself; β-diversity was also positively affected by tree richness. Species turnover, as opposed to nestedness, was the main mechanism generating β-diversity, but itself was not related to tree richness. We demonstrate in this study the importance of landscape diversity and availability of local resources for herbivorous insect communities, and we emphasize the importance of SDTF conservation in different ecoregions as a result of species turnover.     

Bats are Not Birds – Different Responses to Human Land‐use on a Tropical Mountain

Land‐use intensification has consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with various taxonomic groups differing widely in their sensitivity. As land‐use intensification alters habitat structure and resource availability, both factors may contribute to explaining differences in animal species diversity. Within the local animal assemblages the flying vertebrates, bats and birds, provide important and partly complementary ecosystem functions. We tested how bats and birds respond to land‐use intensification and compared abundance, species richness, and community composition across a land‐use gradient including forest, traditional agroforests (home garden), coffee plantations and grasslands on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Furthermore, we asked how sensitive different habitat and feeding guilds of bats and birds react to land‐use intensification and the associated alterations in vegetation structure and food resource availability. In contrast to our expectations, land‐use intensification had no negative effect on species richness and abundance of all birds and bats. However, some habitat and feeding guilds, in particular forest specialist and frugivorous birds, were highly sensitive to land‐use intensification. Although the habitat guilds of both, birds and bats, depended on a certain degree of vegetation structure, total bat and bird abundance was mediated primarily by the availability of the respective food resources. Even though the highly structured southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro are able to maintain diverse bat and bird assemblages, the sensitivity of avian forest specialists against land‐use intensification and the dependence of the bat and bird habitat guilds on a certain vegetation structure demonstrate that conservation plans should place special emphasis on these guilds.     

Local‐ and landscape‐level effects of land use change on bird diversity in Abiata‐Shalla Lakes National Park,Ethiopia

Understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on biodiversity is important for conservation prioritization. This study examined the effects of vegetation degradation on bird diversity in Abiata‐Shalla Lakes National Park, Ethiopia. We surveyed birds and vegetation structure between January and March 2015 in disturbed (impacted by settlement and agriculture) and undisturbed (not impacted) transects of two vegetation types (savannah woodland and gallery forest). We compared between disturbed and undisturbed transects at local (within vegetation types) and landscape (across vegetation types) levels: (a) avian species richness of the entire assemblage and feeding guilds and (b) species assemblage composition. We found significantly greater mean and total bird species richness of the entire assemblage and insectivore and granivore feeding guilds in the undisturbed transects, while the nectarivore guild was totally absent in the disturbed transects. We also found significant differences in bird species assemblage composition between the disturbed and undisturbed transects both within and across the vegetation types, and bird species assemblage composition at the landscape level was positively correlated with tree abundance and understorey vegetation height. In conclusion, our results demonstrate and add to the increasing body of evidence concerning the adverse effects of human‐induced vegetation change on bird diversity.     

浦东滩涂中型土壤动物群落结构及土质酸碱度生物评价分析

1999年,对上海浦东滩涂4类不同酸碱度土壤中的中型土壤动物进行了调查。应用物种丰富度,个体数多度,多样性指数和均匀度4个群落参数,并结合种类研究,讨论了土壤动物群落结构与不同酸碱度土壤的关系。结果表明,土壤中弹尾目和蜱螨目对不同酸碱度土壤反应敏感。弹尾目的3个群落参数和蜱螨目的4个参数均很好地反映与土壤反应敏感。弹尾目的3个群落参数和蜱螨目的4个参数均很好地反映与土壤pH的关系,相关系数分别在0．9以上和0．85左右,在pH相差较大的情况下,可以区分不同酸碱度的土壤。弹尾目的符Tao(Paranura sp.)可用于评价酸碱度较接近的土壤,球角Tao(Hypogastrura sp.）可用于评价酸碱度相差较大,高pH或环境条件较恶劣的土壤。     

Response of plant species and life form diversity to variable fire histories and biomass in the jarrah forest of south‐west Australia

Frequent fires reduce the abundance of woody plant species and favour herbaceous species. Plant species richness also tends to increase with decreasing vegetation biomass and cover due to reduced competition for light. We assessed the influence of variable fire histories and site biomass on the following diversity measures: woody and herbaceous species richness, overall species richness and evenness, and life form evenness (i.e. the relative abundance or dominance among six herbaceous and six woody plant life forms), across 16 mixed jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) and marri (Corymbia calophylla) forest stands in south‐west Australia. Fire frequency was defined as the total number of fires over a 30‐year period. Overall species richness and species evenness did not vary with fire frequency or biomass. However, there were more herbaceous species (particularly rushes, geophytes and herbs) where there were fewer shrubs and low biomass, suggesting that more herbaceous species coexist where dominance by shrubs is low. Frequently burnt plots also had lower number and abundance of shrub species. Life form evenness was also higher at both high fire frequency and low biomass sites. These results suggest that the impact of fire frequency and biomass on vegetation composition is mediated by local interactions among different life forms rather than among individual species. Our results demonstrate that measuring the variation in the relative diversity of different woody and herbaceous life forms is crucial to understanding the compositional response of forests and other structurally complex vegetation communities to changes in disturbance regime such as increased fire frequency.     

Effects of fire,topography and year-to-year climatic variation on species composition in tallgrass prairie

Native unploughed tallgrass prairie from Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA is described with respect to plant species compositional changes over a five year period in response to fire and topography. The principal gradient of variation in the vegetation is related to time since burning. Species show an individualistic response in terms of relative abundance to this gradient. Both the percentage of and cover of C₄ species and all grasses decrease as the prairie remains unburnt. Forb and woody plant species numbers and abundance increase along this gradient. A secondary gradient of variation reflects topography (i.e. upland versus lowland soils). Upland soils support a higher species richness and diversity. Upland and lowland plant assemblages are distinct except on annually burnt prairie. The interaction between burning regime, topography and year-to-year climatic variation affects the relative abundance of the plant species differentially. The most dominant species overall, Andropogon gerardii, was affected only by year-to-year variation (i.e. climate). Its position at the top of the species abundance hierarchy was unaffected by burning regime or soil type. The other dominant species showed a suite of varying responses to these factors.Deceased May, 1986.     

科尔沁沙地固定沙丘植被物种多样性对降水变化的响应

应用１９８６年到１９９２年固定沙丘样方调查数据和同期降水量资料,对科尔沁沙地物种多样性与年降水量的变化进行了分析。结果表明植物种丰富度以对降水量变化的反响比较强烈,一个干旱年份可减少固定沙丘植物种丰富度,而随后的恢复却需要３年友上的时间。物种多样性指数随降水量变化而变化,二者呈正相关。灰色关联分析表明,物种多样性指数Ｄ对降水量变化的反响来看,生长期降水量对物种多样性的影响大于年降水。在固定沙丘植被     

Contribution of cocoa plantations to the conservation of native ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with a special emphasis on the Atlantic Forest fauna of southern Bahia,Brazil

By maintaining a forest-like structure, shaded cocoa plantations contribute to the conservation of ants that usually live in the soil, leaf litter or canopy of tropical forests. Here we synthesize the available information on the diversity and community structure of ants in shaded cocoa plantations in the Atlantic forest region of Brazil, compare ant assemblages in cocoa agroforests with forests and other forms of agriculture, and discuss how these shaded plantations contribute to the conservation of the ants in the Atlantic Forest region. We also discuss ants of economical importance and of special interest, including Camponotus, Dolichoderus, Gnamptogenys, Pachycondyla, Pseudomyrmex and other litter dwelling genera. We discuss the situation of the tramp ant Wasmannia auropunctata in the Bahian cocoa-producing region where it is considered as native, and that of the two cryptobiotic genera Thaumatomyrmex and Typhlomyrmex, as well as that of proven and possible endangered army ant and Ponerini species. A total of 192 ant species from four strata were found in extensive sampling of a cocoa plantation with a relatively simple shade canopy (comprised primarily of Erythrina). Species richness in the cocoa plantations corresponded roughly to that of low diversity native forests, and species composition of cocoa plantations was most similar to native habitats (forest and mangroves) while ant composition in other agricultural habitats was most similar to that of urban areas. Although occurrences of Wasmannia auropunctata were similar in cocoa plantations and forests, abundance of Thaumatomyrmex and Typhlomyrmex, generally thought to be rare ants, was relatively high in cocoa plantations. These results, from cocoa plantations with relatively simple shade, demonstrate the importance of cocoa for ant conservation in the Atlantic forest region of Brazil. It is likely that cocoa plantations with a greater number of vegetation strata and higher tree species richness (such as traditional cabruca plantations) provide even more important habitat for ants generally and for ant species of conservation concern.     

Removing understory vegetation in oil palm agroforestry reduces ground-foraging ant abundance but not species richness

Ants are known to provide valuable ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes, including oil palm plantations. Their communities are less diverse and more uneven in oil palm compared with forest, and this may increase their vulnerability to disturbance. This study quantifies ant communities in oil palm agroforestry and experimentally tests their robustness to a common-practice high-disturbance management intervention: removing understory vegetation.Fieldwork was based at the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Understory Vegetation Project in Sumatra, Indonesia, where three treatments varying in their degree of understory vegetation management were established in 2014: (1) widespread herbicide was applied removing all understory vegetation (Reduced); (2) herbicide was applied to the harvesting paths and circles, and other vegetation was allowed to grow (Normal – control); (3) no herbicide was applied (Enhanced). We measured ground-foraging ant communities before and after the treatments were implemented, using pitfall traps over 324 trap-nights (a trap-night is one trap set for one night). We investigated how ant abundance, species richness, species evenness, beta diversity, and community composition differed between the treatments.We found 3507 ants across 68 species or morphospecies. Seven of these were highly abundant and accounted for 78% of individuals. Post-treatment ant abundance was lower in the reduced treatment (mean per plot: 84) than in the normal (159) and enhanced (131) treatments, which did not differ from each other. Species richness, species evenness, beta diversity and community composition were not affected by the vegetation treatments.We recommend that oil palm growers maintain understory vegetation in oil palm plantations to support ground-foraging ants. Though not tested here, this may also improve ant-mediated ecosystem services, such as pest control, seed dispersal, nutrient redistribution, and the maintenance of soil health. This study demonstrates that enhancing habitat complexity through management practices can support biodiversity in monocrop landscapes.     

Depth distribution and composition of seed banks under different tree layers in a managed temperate forest ecosystem

In the present work we examined the composition and distribution across three soil layers of the buried soil seed bank under three different overstory types (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Pinus sylvestris) and in logging areas in a 4383-ha forest in central Belgium. The objectives were: (1) to investigate whether species composition and species richness of soil seed banks are affected by different forest stands; (2) to examine how abundant are habitat-specific forest species in seed banks under different planted tree layers. The study was carried out in stands which are replicated, managed in the same way (even-aged high forest), and growing on the same soil type with the same land-use history. In the investigated area, the seed bank did show significant differences under oak, beech, pine and in logging areas, respectively in terms of size, composition and depth occurrence. All species and layers taken together, the seed bank size ranked as follows: oakwood > beechwood > logging area > pinewood. The same pattern was found for forest species. Seed numbers of Betula pendula, Calluna vulgaris, Dryopteris dilatata and Rubus fruticosus were significantly higher under the beech canopy. Carex remota, Impatiens parviflora and Lotus sp. showed a significantly denser seed bank in logging areas, while Digitalis purpurea seeds were significantly more abundant in soils under the oak canopy. The fact that the seed bank of an originally homogeneous forest varies under different planted stands highlights that a long period of canopy conversion can affect the composition and depth of buried seeds.     

Bat and bird diversity along independent gradients of latitude and tree composition in European forests

Species assemblages are shaped by local and continental-scale processes that are seldom investigated together, due to the lack of surveys along independent gradients of latitude and habitat types. Our study investigated changes in the effects of forest composition and structure on bat and bird diversity across Europe. We compared the taxonomic and functional diversity of bat and bird assemblages in 209 mature forest plots spread along gradients of forest composition and vertical structure, replicated in 6 regions spanning from the Mediterranean to the boreal biomes. Species richness and functional evenness of both bat and bird communities were affected by the interactions between latitude and forest composition and structure. Bat and bird species richness increased with broadleaved tree cover in temperate and especially in boreal regions but not in the Mediterranean where they increased with conifer abundance. Bat species richness was lower in forests with smaller trees and denser understorey only in northern regions. Bird species richness was not affected by forest structure. Bird functional evenness increased in younger and denser forests. Bat functional evenness was also influenced by interactions between latitude and understorey structure, increasing in temperate forests but decreasing in the Mediterranean. Covariation between bat and bird abundances also shifted across Europe, from negative in southern forests to positive in northern forests. Our results suggest that community assembly processes in bats and birds of European forests are predominantly driven by abundance and accessibility of feeding resources, i.e., insect prey, and their changes across both forest types and latitudes.     

Ants on a mountain: spatial, environmental and habitat associations along an altitudinal transect in a centre of endemism

Mountains are biodiversity hotspots and provide spatially compressed versions of regional and continental variation. They might be the most cost effective way to measure the environmental associations of regional biotic communities and their response to global climate change. We investigated spatial variation in epigeal ant diversity along a north–south elevational transect over the Soutpansberg Mountain in South Africa, to see to what extent these patterns can be related to spatial (regional) and environmental (local) variables and how restricted taxa are to altitudinal zones and vegetation types. A total of 40,294 ants, comprising 78 species were caught. Ant richness peaked at the lowest elevation of the southern aspect but had a hump-shaped pattern along the northern slope. Species richness, abundance and assemblage structure were associated with temperature and the proportion of bare ground. Local environment and spatially structured environmental variables comprised more than two-thirds of the variation explained in species richness, abundance and assemblage structure, while space alone (regional processes) was responsible for <10%. Species on the northern aspect were more specific to particular vegetation types, whereas the southern aspect’s species were more generalist. Lower elevation species’ distributions were more restricted. The significance of temperature as an explanatory variable of ant diversity across the mountain could provide a predictive surrogate for future changes. The effect of CO₂-induced bush encroachment on the southern aspect could have indirect impacts complicating prediction, but ant species on the northern aspect should move uphill at a rate proportional to their thermal tolerance and the regional increases in temperature. Two species are identified that might be at risk of local extinction.     

Habitat Associations and Community Structure of Dipterocarps in Response to Environment and Soil Conditions in Brunei Darussalam,Northwest Borneo

Plant habitat associations are well documented in Bornean lowland tropical forests, but few studies contrast the prevalence of associations across sites. We examined habitat associations and community composition of Dipterocarpaceae trees in two contrasting Bornean lowland mixed dipterocarp forests separated by approximately 100 km: Andulau (uniform topography, lower altitudinal range, sandy soils) and Belalong (highly dissected topography, higher altitudinal range, clay‐rich soils). Dipterocarpaceae trees ≥ 1 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were censused in 20‐m wide belt transects established along topographic gradients at each site. Dipterocarp density, evenness, species richness, and diversity were significantly higher at Andulau than Belalong. Significant site associations (with either Andulau or Belalong) were detected for 19 (52%) of the 37 dipterocarp species tested. Dipterocarpaceae community composition at Belalong correlated with soil nutrient concentrations as well as measures of vegetation and topographic structure, but community composition at Andulau correlated with fewer habitat variables. Within each site, dipterocarp density, species richness, and diversity were consistently higher on ridges than in slopes and valleys. Significant within‐site associations to topographic habitats were less common at Andulau (10% of species tested) than at Belalong (15%). We conclude that edaphic and other environmental factors influence dipterocarp community composition at a local scale, and are more important drivers of community structure in the more variable environment at Belalong. Species richness and diversity of dipterocarps on small plots, however, were higher at Andulau, suggesting that factors other than environmental heterogeneity contribute to contrasts in dipterocarp tree species richness at small scales.     

Diversity in plants and other Collembola ameliorate impacts of Sminthurus viridis on plant community structure

Five experiments investigated the importance of herbivory by Sminthurus viridis in structuring botanical composition in developing grasslands, and how these effects may be modified by diversity in collembolan and plant species. Differential susceptibility to S. viridis feeding was demonstrated in 23 dicotyledonous and three monocotyledonous plants assayed as seedlings at the first true leaf stage. The composition of seedling communities developing from natural and artificially constructed soil seed banks varied with the level of S. viridis infestation, with plant species least susceptible to herbivory making the greatest contribution to plant biomass. The combined effect of herbivory by S. viridis and Bourletiella hortensis on Trifolium repens biomass was shown to be less than the effect of S. viridis alone, indicating competitive interference. The adverse effects of herbivory by S. viridis on T. repens biomass was reduced by increased diversity of plants growing in association with the legume, and the presence of four non-herbivorous arthropleonan Collembola. S. viridis was shown to reduce seedling numbers, species diversity and biomass in communities developing from the soil seed bank, but the presence of non-herbivorous arthropleonan species reduced the effect of S. viridis. The experiments demonstrate the potential for herbivory by S. viridis to significantly alter species composition in developing grassland communities. However, interactions with collembolan and plant species profoundly modified S. viridis herbivory impacts, either by reducing feeding intensity or enhancing plant growth. These results highlight the fact that data from simple, synthetic systems may be poor predictors of herbivory impacts under field conditions where more complex species interactions occur.     

氮素添加对科尔沁沙质草地物种多样性和生产力的影响

物种多样性和生产力是生态系统结构和功能的重要指标.以科尔沁沙质草地为对象,通过对其进行不同梯度的氮素添加处理,研究氮素添加对沙质草地生态系统物种组成、物种多样性和生产力的影响.结果表明：氮素添加改变了群落物种组成和群落中的优势种,使植被的高度和盖度增加,植被的透光率减小;随着氮素水平的增加,群落中物种丰富度减小,物种多样性降低;不同水平的氮素添加均显著增加了(P<0.01)群落地上生物量;物种丰富度与植被透光率呈线性正相关(P<0.01),与植被盖度呈线性负相关关系(P<0.01),说明长期的氮沉降与人为氮素输入将影响沙地生态系统的物种组成、物种多样性以及生产力.     

Comparative analysis of two edaphic zoocoenoses (Oribatid mites and Carabid beetles) in five habitats of the ‘Pietraporciana’ and ‘Lucciolabella’ Nature Reserves (Orcia Valley,central Italy)

Oribatid mite and Carabid beetle communities were investigated at five sites in the ‘Pietraporciana’ and ‘Lucciolabella’ Nature Reserves (central Italy). In this part of southern Tuscany many attempts have been made to encourage the regeneration of native habitats and to preserve existing ones. Human-induced changes in the original forest landscape have had a direct impact on mite and carabid populations. Significant differences in species diversity and abundance among different sites were revealed throughout the sampling period. Species richness, abundance and diversity of oribatid mites decrease from woodland sites to open habitats where evenness was high. There is an inverse trend between the number of species and richness of carabid beetles and those of oribatid mites. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of oribatid and carabid beetle compositions discriminated the sites, demonstrating how even small areas with different vegetation, composition, structure, environment and microclimate were characterised by distinct edaphic populations.